There is such an application that an object moves around in a two-dimensional/three-dimensional game space.
With such an application, a game space having a relatively narrow range with a player object of a player himself/herself (a character moving and operating in response to a player's operation) being located in the center is displayed on a television or a monitor as a normal game picture.
For example, in a 3D (3-Dimensional) game, a video image obtained by shooting, for example, from behind a player object operable by an operator with a camera at some distance therefrom has been displayed.
On the other hand, in a 3D game, when another object such as a background image or an enemy object is present between the player object and the camera or when another object or the like moves and cuts in between the player object and the camera, the player object cannot be shot with the camera and it becomes difficult to operate the player object.
In this regard, a technique has proposed such a scheme that, when presence of another object such as a wall is detected between a player object and a camera, the camera is moved to a position where a line of sight of the camera toward the player object is not interrupted by another object for shooting.
However, the technique has suffered from the problem of operability because the camera is moved based on an orientation of the wall when the wall is present between the player object and the camera.
An exemplary embodiment provides an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a non-transitory storage medium encoded with a computer readable program for controlling an image processing apparatus, for displaying a video image capable of achieving improved operability and realism.
An exemplary embodiment provides an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting a first object and another object present in a three-dimensional space, and it includes a first object control unit for changing an orientation or a direction of movement of the first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure and moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, a virtual camera control unit for determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to gradually follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object determined by the first object control unit and causing the virtual camera to shoot the first object in the direction of shooting, and a display data generation unit for generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the direction of shooting by the virtual camera determined by the virtual camera control unit. The virtual camera control unit includes a detection unit for detecting whether or not the first object is hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera and a first following change unit for increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection by the detection unit.
According to the exemplary embodiment, during a normal operation, in such a situation that the first object is hidden by another object while the direction of shooting of the virtual camera gradually follows the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object is increased to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera, so that the image processing apparatus having good operability without abruptness of control of the virtual camera at the time when the first object is hidden by another object can be provided. In addition, since the direction of shooting of the virtual camera follows the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object matches with a direction of depth of a screen and hence operability is good also in this sense.
In an exemplary embodiment, the detection unit detects whether or not another object is present between a position of the first object and a position of the virtual camera.
According to the exemplary embodiment, since whether or not another object is present between the position of the first object and the position of the virtual camera is detected, whether the first object is hidden by another object or not when viewed from the virtual camera can readily be detected.
In an exemplary embodiment, the virtual camera control unit further includes a second following change unit for further increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the first object moves forward.
According to the exemplary embodiment, by further increasing the degree of following the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the first object moves forward, in such a situation that the first object makes a turn around a wall and thereafter moves along the wall, the direction of shooting of the virtual camera follows sooner, so that realism can be increased.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first object control unit accepts a user's direction input and changes the orientation or a direction of movement of the object to a direction in accordance with the direction input, with a current direction of shooting of the virtual camera serving as the reference.
According to the exemplary embodiment, by changing the orientation or the direction of movement of the object to a direction in accordance with the direction input, in a case of a user's operation to intend forward movement, the direction of shooting of the virtual camera is soon matched with the orientation or the direction of movement of a player object, so that an image in a forward direction along the orientation or the direction of movement of the player object can quickly be checked and hence user's operability can further be improved.
In an exemplary embodiment, the virtual camera control unit further includes a change unit for changing a position of the virtual camera based on a position and the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object moved by the first object control unit and on the degree.
In an exemplary embodiment, the change unit changes the position of the virtual camera such that a distance from the position of the first object moved by the first object control unit is constant.
According to the exemplary embodiment, since change is made such that the position of the first object and the position of the virtual camera are constant, a feeling of distance from the object present in the three-dimensional space shot by the virtual camera does not change. Therefore, such a feeling as if a field of view of the first object were constant can be obtained and realism can be increased.
In an exemplary embodiment, the virtual camera control unit determines the direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space in accordance with a first coefficient used for adjusting an angle so as to gradually follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, and the first following change unit changes the first coefficient to a second coefficient greater than the first coefficient based on the result of detection by the detection unit.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first following change unit further includes a coefficient interpolation unit for changing to a third coefficient between the first coefficient and the second coefficient.
According to the exemplary embodiment, by providing the coefficient interpolation unit for changing to a third coefficient between the first coefficient and the second coefficient for adjusting an angle so as to gradually follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, such adjustment that change in angle for adjusting the direction of shooting of the virtual camera is made smooth, a video image causing less uncomfortableness is displayed, and realism is increased can be made.
In an exemplary embodiment, the virtual camera control unit further includes a first object position prediction unit for predicting a position to which the first object may move based on the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object moved by the first object control unit and a prediction detection unit for detecting whether or not the first object at the position predicted by the first object position prediction unit may be hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera, and the first following change unit increases the degree of following the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection by the prediction detection unit.
In an exemplary embodiment, the prediction detection unit detects whether or not another object may be present between the position of the virtual camera and a position distant by a prescribed distance from the position of the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object. It is noted that this “prescribed distance” is preferably changed in accordance with a moving speed of the first object. More specifically, when the moving speed of the first object is fast, this “prescribed distance” is preferably increased.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the degree of following can be changed before the first object is hidden by another object and the virtual camera is located at a position where hiding is avoided before such a situation as hiding is brought about. Therefore, a good field of view in the direction of shooting of the virtual camera can always be ensured and realism can be increased.
In an exemplary embodiment, the first object control unit changes the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object and moves the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement in response to a user's input, and moves the first object without changing the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the user's input is a prescribed input, and the virtual camera control unit further includes a second following change unit for further increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the user's input is the prescribed input.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when the user's input is a prescribed input, the first object is moved without changing the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object and the degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object. Thus, in a case of a user's operation to intend movement without changing the orientation or the direction of movement, the direction of shooting of the virtual camera is soon matched with the orientation or the direction of movement of a player object, so that an image along the orientation or the direction of movement of the player object can quickly be checked and hence user's operability can further be improved.
An exemplary embodiment provides an image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus is an image processing apparatus for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting a first object and another object present in a three-dimensional space, and it includes a first object control unit for changing an orientation or a direction of movement of the first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure and moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, a virtual camera control unit for determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object determined by the first object control unit and causing the virtual camera to shoot the first object in the direction of shooting, and a display data generation unit for generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the direction of shooting by the virtual camera determined by the virtual camera control unit, and the virtual camera control unit includes a following change unit for increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the first object moves forward.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when the first object moves forward, the degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object can be increased to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera, and the direction of shooting of the virtual camera follows forward movement of the first object sooner, so that realism can be increased.
An exemplary embodiment provides an image processing method. The image processing method is an image processing method for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting a first object and another object present in a three-dimensional space, and it includes the steps of changing an orientation or a direction of movement of the first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure, moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to gradually follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the moved first object, shooting the first object in the direction of shooting, and generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the determined direction of shooting by the virtual camera, and the determining step includes the steps of detecting whether or not the first object is hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera and increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the steps of detecting whether or not the first object is hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera and increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection can be provided to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera. By increasing the degree of following the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, such a state as being hidden by another object can be avoided and a video image obtained by shooting a player object with the camera in accordance with change in line of sight of the operated player object can be displayed. Therefore, realism can further be increased.
An exemplary embodiment provides an image processing method. The image processing method is an image processing method for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting a first object and another object present in a three-dimensional space, and it includes the steps of changing an orientation or a direction of movement of the first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure, moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the moved first object, shooting the first object in the direction of shooting, and generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the determined direction of shooting by the virtual camera, and the determining step includes the step of increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the first object moves forward.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when the first object moves forward, the step of increasing the degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object can be provided to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera, and the direction of shooting of the virtual camera follows forward movement of the first object sooner, so that realism can be increased.
An exemplary embodiment provides a non-transitory storage medium encoded with a computer readable program for controlling an image processing apparatus and executable by a computer of the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus is for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting an operation object and another object present in a three-dimensional space. The program for controlling an image processing apparatus causes the computer to perform processing including the steps of changing an orientation or a direction of movement of a first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure, moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to gradually follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the moved first object, shooting the first object in the direction of shooting, and generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the determined direction of shooting by the virtual camera, and the determining step includes the steps of detecting whether or not the first object is hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera and increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the steps of detecting whether or not the first object is hidden by another object when viewed from the virtual camera and increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object based on a result of detection can be provided to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera. By increasing the degree of following the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object, such a state as being hidden by another object can be avoided and a video image obtained by shooting a player object with the camera in accordance with change in line of sight of the operated player object can be displayed. Therefore, realism can further be increased.
An exemplary embodiment provides a non-transitory storage medium encoded with a computer readable program for controlling an image processing apparatus and executable by a computer of the image processing apparatus. The image processing apparatus is for displaying on a display, a video image obtained by shooting an operation object and another object present in a three-dimensional space. The program for controlling an image processing apparatus causes the computer to perform processing including the steps of changing an orientation or a direction of movement of a first object in the three-dimensional space in a prescribed procedure, moving the first object in the orientation or the direction of movement, determining a direction of shooting of the virtual camera in the three-dimensional space so as to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the moved first object, shooting the first object in the direction of shooting, and generating display data for displaying on the display, the video image obtained by shooting the first object in the three-dimensional space based on the determined direction of shooting by the virtual camera, and the determining step includes the step of increasing a degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object when the first object moves forward.
According to the exemplary embodiment, when the first object moves forward, the step of increasing the degree of causing the direction of shooting of the virtual camera to follow the orientation or the direction of movement of the first object can be provided to determine the direction of shooting of the virtual camera, and the direction of shooting of the virtual camera follows forward movement of the first object sooner, so that realism can be increased.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.